The Art Of The Interview

Like a photograph, the quality of the frame will make an interview better or worse. In this week's episode, I talk about the many ways I frame interviews before, during, and after the interview is complete, and how that makes for a better interview. I break down my tried methods for creating a safe, comfortable environment for your interviewees while also maximizing the technical quality of yo...

Ever gone on a date with someone who only talks about themselves? Me neither. But that would be obnoxious, on a date or while being interviewed. In this episode, I talk about how much it's appropriate to talk about yourself, your story, your thoughts, and your agenda while interviewing someone. Surprisingly, it's more nuanced than you might think. YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c...

Your mindset will influence how your interview. In this week's episode, I talk about three essential mindsets to practice to get better interviews. YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg73E-2NebZvD0df2JCEt8w Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2tzoxgGJLmzVfSg0vwFQz4 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-art-of-the-interview/id1542998239

Everyone knows the experience of sitting across from someone who you disagree with and feel animosity towards. In this week's episode, I talk about five steps to help you step out of antipathy and into empathy so you can have better interviews and conversations with people who you just don't see eye to eye. YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg73E-2NebZvD0df2JCEt8w Spotify:...

The Art of the Interview is back! Starting in February 2024, I'll be hosting a weekly episode and releasing it every Tuesday. In this week's episode, I talk about twelve reasons why I think asking better questions is essential to being human in 2024 (in addition to just giving me something to podcast about). From expanding empathy to increasing both tolerance and intolerance (yes, you hear...

In this episode, I talk about why you should delegate your tech responsibilities and, if you do, how to go about it. I tell two stories from The Art of the Interview by Lawrence Grobel about times his delegation has gone wrong and talk about what we can learn from it. Through this episode, you'll understand why it's important to give away as many of the technical responsibilities you can. You'll a...

In this episode, I talk more about why research is (for most interviewers) essential to getting the best interview you can. I also read a passage from The Art of the Interview by Lawrence Grobel about how research is essential to knowing the right questions to ask.  Through this episode, you'll get some fresh ideas of how to do research on your interviewees no matter the subject you're interv...

In this episode, I talk about why research is (for most interviewers) essential to getting the best interview they can. In it, I read a passage from The Art of the Interview by Lawrence Grobel about his research philosophy.  Through this episode, you'll get some fresh ideas of how to do research on your interviewees no matter the subject you're interviewing them about. You'll also have a soli...

In this episode, I talk about how to be a better sports interviewer. I base my tips off of an anecdote in The Art of the Interview by Lawrence Grobel about ESPN interviewer Roy Firestone. The book makes two important points about Firestone's style: He is curious about the entire human, not just their sports ability He is positive in his approach to interviewing them By listening to this episode, y...

This episode explores one of the central interviewing techniques I talk about on this podcast: "holding the space." It answers the questions of: What is "holding space" during an interview? What does it mean? What does it not mean? Why is it important? How does it fit in with your overall purpose as an interviewer? This episode will unpack this somewhat abstract topic of holding the space. By the...

In this episode, I take two prompts from The Art Of The Interview by Lawrence Gobel and explore the two subjects of: Following the energy The importance of having genuine curiosity. This episode explores two central techniques of interviewing that are used by one of the best interviewers in the world (as well as yours truly!). By listening to this episode, you'll be able to better know when to sta...

In the same way that you speak to different people in different styles, different interviewing styles help to create safety, comfort, and intimacy on an interviewing set. In this episode, I explore how to choose the style of conversation based on three elements: Your Interviewee Your Audience Your Medium Thinking about your style in the context of these three things will help you identify whether...

If you're going to do a pre-interview, you should do it well. Pre-interviews can be powerful ways to build intimacy and discover where to focus in the interview before you ever show up with you interviewee. In this episode, I talk about seven tips for rocking your pre-interviews, including: Do it well before the interview takes place Be totally present Focus less on ideas, more on story Follow the...

There's a lot in common between interviews and coffee dates. And many of the same techniques that work for building intimacy and trust in one work well in the other too. In this episode, I talk about eleven crossover skills that you can use both as an interview as well as when you're just out for coffee with a friend...or a family member...or a good-natured clown. They're all the same. Be on time...

As humans we have preferences and prejudices. But as interviews, we have a responsibility to hold whatever comes. And sometimes our prejudices and preferences can get in the way of being fully present with someone who we're interviewing. In this episode, I talk about t what it means and what it doesn't mean to hold the space for someone in your interview. I finish up with a call to all interviewer...

Who out there experiences monkey mind before or during an interview? What do I ask them once I get on set? What do I ask next? How do I transition subjects? Oh no, I made them angry! How do I get them to be not-angry at me? Oh no! I didn't even hear the last two minutes of what they said because I was lost in my thoughts! Monkey mind running the show is the number-one enemy of being present with y...

It's Easter Saturday - the lesser talked about middle day of the Easter Weekend. And what's so special about Easter Saturday that nobody really talks about it? Well, it's the day that God was silent. Silence can be scary. But used well, it can heighten the power of the speech that follows or came before.  The day of silence between the Friday where Christ was crucified and the Sunday that Chr...

Recently my short film The Witness was selected for the International Christian Film and Music Festival , one of the largest faith-based film festivals in the world. And I'm giving you early access to see it.  Why? During the production of this film, I put into practice many of the techniques that I talk about on this podcast. And in this episode, I talk about the story behind the People Proj...

What do you do when an interviewee (sometimes a central interviewee!) suddenly gets nervous and gets cold feet about the interview? How do you navigate the emotional intricacies that are involved in getting someone to feel comfortable and safe doing an interview with you? In this episode, I talk about some techniques that I used to talk down my interviewees and restore their confidence in the proc...

There's a lot of good interviewers in the world, many of them better than I am! And recently I've been reading about some of their tips and tricks to be better at interviewing, and I've been realizing I have a lot of room to grow. In this episode, I talk about three interviewing tips in which I could definitely improve: Stay Silent After An Interviewee Finishes Their Answer Don't Ask Multiple Ques...

Should I do a pre-interview or not? What even is a pre-interview, and why can the help or hinder my interview? In this episode, I talk about some of the objections to doing pre-interviews and why, in my opinion, they're still a powerful way to get to the heart of a subject and an interviewee - if you do them right: DO talk to them before you show up on set - not when you get there DON'T probe too...

Documentary is my favorite type of interview. Getting the opportunity to sit across from someone and dig into their life or subject of choice is like drinking a cup of coffee in the early hours watching the sunrise - no matter how many times you do it, it gets better every time. In this episode, I talk about my seven tips on doing the best documentary video interviews that you can do: If possible,...

There are a lot of people who answer the question of how to start your interview, but fewer people ask how to end your interview with a bang. In fact, ending of your interview well is equally as important as a solid start. It's the time when you wrap up, sum up, and invite the person you're interviewing to really dig deep and summarize what they're all about. In this episode, I talk about the best...

Are you starting up an interview series but frustrated that your voice doesn't sound like everybody else in the interviewing sphere? Don't be. Actually there's many different styles, cadences, and voice types in the world of podcasts, YouTube shows, and interviews. That said, there are a few things you can do to improve your delivery and connect with your guest and audience in a better way. In thi...

You've scheduled your guest, and you're gnawing at your fingernails waiting for the day when you're going to do the interview. What do you do while you wait? In this episode, I talk about four things I would do if I were going back to the beginning and doing my first interview all over again. And really, it's four things you could do for any interview, whether it's your first or fifth or your fift...